Why Should We Hire You?
he whole interview process is about answering this question: Why should we hire you instead of one of the many other well-qualified applicants?
Every interview question is an attempt to gather information to inform this hiring decision. Many interviewers will also specifically ask you to make your case with one of these questions:
- Why would you be a good fit for this position?
- What makes you unique?
- Why are you the best person for this job?
- Explain why your background and experience would be a good fit for this job.
To close the deal on a job offer, you MUST be prepared with a concise summary of the top reasons to choose you. Even if your interviewer doesn’t ask one of these questions in so many words, you should be prepared to tell them about yourself and communicate your top reasons for why you are the best person for this job.
The interviewer’s job is to hire the best person for the position. Most of the candidates that make it to the interview stage are qualified for the job. The winning candidate must be more than qualified, especially in a very competitive job market.
Every hire is a risk for the company. Your interviewer will also be taking a personal career risk in recommending a particular candidate to hire. If the candidate performs well, Mr. Interviewer looks brilliant and gets a pat on the back (and maybe a bigger annual bonus).
If the candidate turns out to be a dud (doesn’t perform well, doesn’t get along with the team, leaves the job prematurely, etc.), the interviewer looks like a dummy and his professional reputation suffers.
With this question, your interviewer is asking you to sell him on you and your status as the best person for the position. Make his job easier by convincing him that:
- You can do the work and deliver exceptional results
- You will fit in beautifully and be a great addition to the team
- You possess a combination of skills and experience that make you stand out
- Hiring you will make him look smart and make his life easier
This is your chance to wow them with your highlight reel. Your answer should summarize the top three or four best reasons to hire you. It’s better to have three or four strong reasons with memorable descriptions and/or examples than to rattle off a laundry list of twelve strengths without context.
This is an opportunity to reiterate your most impressive strengths and/or describe your most memorable selling points, tailored to align with the top requirements in the job description. Your 3-4 bullet points could include a combination of the following:
- Industry experience
- Experience in performing certain tasks or duties
- Technical skills
- Soft skills
- Key accomplishments
- Awards/accolades
- Education/training
Accomplishments and success stories are always good bets, especially if you can describe how a key accomplishment(a successful marketing campaign, for example) demonstrates a desired competency (creativity, results-orientation).
One approach is to mention any unique combination of skills(s) and experience that you possess. For example, many candidates may have strong programming skills, but what if you combine those with the team leadership experience that others don’t have? It sounds like a great recipe for a senior programmer. Explain why in your answer.